After announcing that the lockdown was to be extended till 30th April, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that restrictions will be relaxed on certain industries to allow them to resume their activities, after chairing a meeting of top cabinet officials to review the current lockdown.
Authorities in Sindh and Punjab on Tuesday issued notifications regarding the extension of a coronavirus lockdown but identified industries and businesses that would be permitted to resume operations.
Various low-risk industries and sectors, including construction, chemical manufacturing, fertilizers, mining, glass manufacturing, e-commerce, and some others, were given the green light to re-open with safety protocols in place.
“I totally understand the hardships being faced by the poor due to the lockdown. That’s why we have decided to move forward with a policy, which can not only ensure social distancing but also reduce the economic burden on the low-income class,” PM Imran Khan went on to say.
“The prolonged lockdown has not only badly hit our businesses but the country’s poor class,” said Ilyas Bilour, a former president of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
“We are going to resume our businesses while observing safety procedures from tomorrow [Wednesday],” he said.
Sector’s Allowed to Work in Lockdown
- Chemical plants
- E commerce for delivery
- Software developing firms
- Paper packaging firms
- Cement fertilizer plants
- Laundry
- Nursing Plant’s
- Agriculture machinery
- Agriculture Product’s
- Glass manufacturing
- Animal hospitals
- Export industries with Sop’s
- Books and stationary shops
- Construction industry with SoP’s
Opening of shops of Electricians, Tailor, Mechanics and Barber’s etc will be decided by provincial governments as per the condition of the cases in the Provinces.
Not allowed to work in the Lockdown
- Malls
- Cinema house
- Parks
- Restaurants
- All Wholesale Markets except Food Market, Medicine Market and those related to Construction Industry
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan has risen to 5,716 with more than 340 confirmed over the past 24 hours, officials said.
